Airplane construction



June 5, 1928;

J. F. NORDBERG AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 28, 1925 2 Sheets-SheetJ ne 5, 1928. 1,672,276

J. F. NORDBERG AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet2 gnuwnlor, (Jo m {No/diary Patented June 5, 1928;

JOHN F. NORDBERG, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed August 28, 1926. Serial No. 132,163.

My invention relates to "air plane construction and has for its primaryobject the lifting and propelling of the air plane and related devices.a

A further object of my invention consists in providing simple andefficient means for the direct lifting and the propelling of the' airvehicle by the same means and the driving of the propellers from thesame primary shaft.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing propellersmounted upon the same shaft but driven in opposite directions thusstabilizing the device and eliminating the tendency prevalent in somedrives to a partial rotation of the air vehicle itself, due to the factthat the rotation of the propeller at a high rate of speed and withtremendous power exertion has a tendency to cause a partial rotation ofthe air vehicle.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing propellersof different diameters of rotation so that one of the propellers will becutting the air at a different distance from the center of rotation thanthe other, and each of the propellers being rotated in a differentdirection.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing a suspendedbody from the motor frame and wherein the angle of suspension may begoverned by the operator of the vehicle. The desired angle of sus ensiondepending upon the rate of rise desired to the rate of forwardpropulsion.

lVith these and incidental objects in view, the invention consistsincertain novel features, the essential elements of which are set forth inthe appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment for carrying outthe process as hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings whichaccompany,.

and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an air vehicle of my newand improved design in position of suspension and propeller for a directrise from the ground.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the body reposing at an angle to that ofthe power plant and the propellers. In this position the air vehiclewill be lifted and at the same time will be propelled forward.

Fig. 3 is a cross sect-ion view of the propeller shafts and the housingfor the same.

This view also illustrates a preferred-form of drive for thepropellershafts.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

1 is the body of the vehicle having supporting wheels 2 for supportingthe same when in contact with the earth or other Solid supporting media.3 and 4: being direction steering rudders. The body is directly securedto a supporting frame 5 that is held in suspension about the journalshaft 6. The power plant is secured'in the frame 7,

and the power unit is encased within the oppositely disposed members 8and 9. A quadrant 10 is associated with the frame 7 and is 'inregistering alignment with the 10- cating element 12. The object of thequadrant and' the registering locating element is to determine therelative angles of the body and the power frame. For lifting in avertical direction only the body and "the power frame will be invertical alignment whereas if angularityzof drive to arise is desiredthe body and the central line of the driving shaft will be at an angleto each other as indicated in Fig.v 2. The locating element ismanipulated through the medium of a tiller chain 13. The gear set isencased within the housing 14 secured to the power frame 7 by suitablefastening elements. Rotation is imparted to the main propeller shaft 15by the power unit and is journaled within suitable bearings 16 and 17. Aprimary propeller of the screw type is mounted upon the outboard end ofthe main propeller shaft 15 and the spread of the blade members aregreater than the secondary blade members. Secured to the main propellershaft 15 is a driving bevelgear l9 and is in driving relation with thedriven gears 20 and 21. Hubs22 and 23 are .formed on the inner surfaceof the housing 14 and stub shafts 24 and 25 are journaled therein andserve as supporting elements for the driven gears 20 and 21. A sleeyeshaft 26 is in working relationship with the primary propeller shaft andis driven through the medium 9f ear 27 in working relationship with thedriven gears 20 and 21. The secondary propeller 28 is mounted upon thesleeve shaft, 26 and is of a lesser spread than that of'theprimarypropeller and is driven in the opposite direction to that of the primarypropeller through the action of the gears. My form of construction issusceptible of a close coupled construction and one that permits ofgreat stability and ease of control not heretofore obtained.

While the ,form of construction herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to accomplish the objects primarily stated, it is not intendedto confine the invention to the specific form herein described, as it issusceptible of embodiment in various limited ways all coming within thescope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In air plane construction, an air plane body provided with acentrally disposed vertically extending frame work, said frame workbeing provided with a horizontal ,shaft the axis of which is at rightangles to the axis of the body; an engine pivotally carried by saidshaft, a drive shaft rotated by said engine, a sleeve shaft about thedrive shaft, a train of gears connected between the drive shaft and thesleeve shaft adapted for rotating the sleeve shaft in a directionopposite to the direction of rotation .of the drive shaft, a propellercarried by the sleeve shaft the blades of which are adapted to create anair pressure immediately adjacent thereto; and a propeller carried bythe drive shaft the blades of which the axis of which is at right anglesto the axis of the body; an engine pivotally car- I ricd by said shaft,a drive shaft rotated by said engine, a sleeve shaft about the driveshaft, a train of gears connected between the drive shaft and the sleeveshaft adapted for rotating the sleeve shaft in a direction opposite tothe direction of rotation of the drive shaft, a propeller carried by thesleeve shaft the blade of which are adapted to create an air pressureimmediately adjacent thereto; a propeller carried by the drive shaft theblades of which are adapted for creating an air pressure exterior andimmediately adjacent the pressure created by the first mentionedpropeller; and means for rocking said engine together with the drive andsleeve shafts in a vertical plane relative to the aforesaid body.

JOHN F. NORDBERG.

